Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

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Welcome everyone to the Millbrae Planning Commission meeting of Monday, May 19th. Can we do a roll call of the commissioners please?

Commissioner Quigg? Present. Commissioner Choi?

Present.

Vice Chair Davis?

Here.

Chair Chan?

Present.

Thank you. Four planning commissioners are present and Commissioner Wong is excused.

Please join me in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. okay uh agenda review is next uh looks like we have one public hearing item on the capital improvement program any uh additions or revisions the agenda okay then uh we have one set of minutes to approve from the regular meeting minutes of april our april 7th meeting this is an action any comments from the commission One thing I did notice is that at the very bottom, it says minutes approved on May 5th. That should be changed to today's date when we actually approve it. We have a motion to approve the minutes as amended.

Not motion.

It's been moved and seconded. Your votes, please, commissioners.

I think we're good.

Okay, the meeting minutes are approved 301 with Commissioner Quigg abstaining.

Thank you. Next up, we have public communication. This is time reserved on the agenda. Are any members of the public wishing to address the Commission on items that are not on the agenda but are nonetheless the purview of the Planning Commission? Are there any speaker slips or hands raised on Zoom?

No speaker slips or hands.

Okay then, moving on to the public hearing item 4A. This is the Capital Improvement Program General Plan Conformance Review. Uh, staff, do you have a presentation?

Yes. Good evening, Chair Chan and members of the Planning Commission. Jennifer Lim, Assistant Planner with the City of Mulberry. And tonight I will be joined by Nicole Tandell, Senior Civil Engineer, to present this Capital Improvement Program public hearing item. THE TONIGHT'S ACTION IS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM CONSIDER THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND THE MATERIALS PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT AND CONSIDER ADOPTING THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION CONFIRMING REVIEW OF THE CIP FOR FISCAL YEAR TWENTY TWENTY FIVE TWENTY SIX AND IT'S CONFORMANCE WITH THE MILBURY GENERAL PLAN PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION SIX FIVE FOUR ZERO ONE. THE PLANNING COMMISSION MUST ENSURE THE ADOPTED CITY PLANS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE GOALS AND POLICIES ADOPTED IN THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN. SO SECTION 65401 OF THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE REQUIRES AGENCIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED A GENERAL PLAN TO REVIEW A PROGRAM OF PROPOSED PUBLIC WORKS SUCH AS A CIP FOR THE ENSUING FISCAL YEAR TO ENSURE CONFORMITY WITH THE ADOPTED GENERAL PLAN. I'm the planning commission's review includes only the proposed public works projects that have been recommended for planning initiation or construction during the ensuing fiscal year twenty twenty five twenty twenty six. The planning commission's review and determination of consistency is needed prior to the city council's adoption of the c.i.p. SO ALL OF THE NEW OR REVISED CIP PROJECTS IN ATTACHMENT TWO HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE GOALS AND POLICIES OF THE GENERAL PLAN. SO THE STAFF REPORT SUMMARIZES THE FINDINGS OF CONSISTENCY WITH THE GENERAL PLAN FOR EACH OF THE PROGRAM AREAS IN THE CIP. SO NEXT I'LL PASS IT ON TO NICOLE.

Good evening, I'm Nicole, senior civil engineer with the city. So like Jen just said, I will be going over the capital improvement program project types that will conform with general plan. This will be overview of the general city facilities, recreation and parks improvements, the sewer collection system and water pollution control plant improvements, water infrastructure, stormwater and storm drain, and transportation and circulation street improvements. So first up, park improvements. We have quite a few things on the docket here. You can see this large list. A couple of the really big ones are the Mills Estate Park Improvement Project. As we all probably know, that is a blank slate for us right now. We're going to look into developing a really nice park out there. A couple other things are the Japanese garden, spur trail connectivity and pet run projects, as well as Central Park security cameras and lighting installation. That's just an upgrade of security systems out there. Spur trail park landscaping and enhancement concept. That's a design we're going to be looking into connecting the landscape better and making the spur trail a more cohesive experience. Green Hills Park children's lawn and hillside garden. Park improvements, adding shade structures to various parks. Recreation building improvements Taylor sports field improvements and the communal real landscape meeting improvements, which is also a design project coming. sewer collection system and the water pollution control plan improvements. Also, quite a few projects here. We have our usual annual projects, such as the system inspection, sort of an ongoing routine thing our operations personnel do to make sure we maintain a healthy system. Same with the flow monitoring. Annual sewer lateral and main replacement, and the annual water pollution control plant, basically a facility equipment replacement program. of our projects that are not annual are the aviador and east mowbray avenue capacity upgrades just upgrading our infrastructure to make sure we can keep up with the growing population major enforcement and pump station replacement supervisory control data acquisition upgrade project basically we're just making sure our systems all can still talk to each other and maintain their data in the lower hillcrest south sanitary sewer replacement and one annual program i forgot was the annual sanitary sewer replacement and pavement rehabilitation program for our treatment plant specific programs we have a lot of things happening with the sludge thickener and gas and water line replacements out there we are upgrading that system as well as looking into upgrading how we clean our water which is the dichlorination system the belt press and the wet well upsizing Moving on to our water infrastructure improvements, El Benito Way water main replacement, Meadows water main and sewer replacement, the annual water main replacement program, the Avior Avenue to SFO property water main replacement and supervisory control. That's another data upgrade to make sure we can maintain all of our data throughout the city and the Broadway water main replacement. These are all either upsizing and or replacing some infrastructure that's getting a little old. Stormwater and storm drain facility improvements. Just the one big project here, the stormwater pump station at Lomitas Canal and the High Line. We're going to look into upgrading those pumps, upsizing the system, making sure it can handle the fierce rains we occasionally get around here. Transportation and Circulation Street Improvements Program. We are looking at the Millbrae Avenue Bridge Bicycle Path, the Aviador Bridge Replacement, the Skyline Drive Slope Restoration, Urban Reforestation Program, which is just going to add a lot more trees to our city and make it look really nice. Streetscape Standards and Details Program, the Green Hills Pavement Maintenance and Traffic Calming Program, The 2026 pavement maintenance and rehabilitation program and the Millbrae downtown specific plan improvements and parking meter implementation. All of that is aimed at making our streets and traffic flow a easier and more cohesive system for our residents.

So staff recommends that the Planning Commission review the Capital Improvement Program, consider the public testimony and the materials presented in this report, and consider adopting the attached resolution confirming review of the CIP for fiscal year 2025-26 in its conformance with the Milbury General Plan pursuant to California Government Code Section 65401. Staff is available for any questions.

Thank you, staff. Are there any questions from the Commission?

Yes, Commissioner Choi. So first of all, thank you for this work. I know how much work goes into coming with the list and collating them and putting them together. How are the projects, how were the projects decided on? What was the mechanism by which they were selected or weeded out? Because I know it's always, you know, you have not a lot of money to do, you know, to satisfy a lot of needs.

Absolutely, so the we have a lot of factors that go into it one of the factors is how critical it is if we have You know that like for example a new development going in and we need to upsize the water stuff to get that going That's gonna take some price precedence And we also we always check the general plan and the master plans we have to make sure that all of the things that we are doing match up with that and will flow into a system that would keep milberry growing at a sustainable pace and

Anyone else? I had a number of questions, including some that I don't think you covered in the presentation, but I'll just go in order so that I have them written down here in my notes. So under policy G2, you described buying or replacing some new vehicles. I'm very excited that you're considering one, at least one lightning EV. And I know in the climate action plan the city has, there is an intention to try to find low hybrid vehicles or fuel efficient vehicles where possible. So was that process followed to decide on the options that were selected here?

Yes, we are looking at phasing EV fully into our fleet over a number of years.

OK, great. Thanks. The other project that I saw that I was interested in was the Magnolia and Millbrae intersection improvement. It's less a question, I guess, but I know that there's one commenter who comes to city council meetings all the time talking about how he feels he is putting his life in harm's way crossing that intersection. So I'm really happy to see that the city is going to be studying that intersection and making it safer for pedestrians. The other thing I was interested in was the Millbrae Avenue bike path. In the staff report or in the project list, you mentioned that Caltrans rejected all of the lanes, all the proposed designs for the bike paths. Does that mean we're kind of to square one again? Or like where does the project go from here?

Oh, working with Caltrans is always an ongoing conversation.

Okay.

But the project has not stopped or stalled. It's continuing.

okay great yeah again that's something that i've heard from community members about taking their trying to take their family out for a bike ride to the bay and how hazardous that going over that uh freeway overpass is definitely yeah it's everything that i had any any other uh anything else from the commission i did have oh yes commissioner quick um

On the pet run, I know we're really trying to get that done. I was wondering how far along you are on that. Three locations would be evaluated, or the Mills Estate Park. I mean, that's pretty in the future since we don't have the park there. And then the old district office area. Which one is that? Is that over there by Orchard?

Yeah, I believe so.

There's a piece in there that you're looking at. OK. And where at Taylor School?

I'm not exactly sure on Taylor Middle School. Check into that.

And then the Monterey part. Yes. OK. And how is the Japanese garden?

Both the projects you just asked about, the pet run and the Japanese garden, are in the planning phases. We are going through the process of gathering data, public input, such things like that, in order to figure out how it should look.

It's the beginning. It's just starting. Then it goes to that committee or commission, or does it go to the city council at that point after that? It would be both sequenced. Will something like that come to us at all? I'm not sure. I certainly could. And it is, it seems like it's easier to keep track of this year than in past years. And I like the way you put it together so it's easy.

Thank you. The shout out really goes to my co-worker Armando on that one. Okay.

Please tell him.

So on projects like the Pet Run or the Japanese Guardian, how can our neighbors, how can the public get involved when you're gathering data? Because I know in the general plan, maybe it's a policy on community involvement, in particular on parks projects, right? So how could the community get involved?

Well, they can always reach out to us for any project. For park planning specifically, there's usually at least one pop-up meeting or survey. It's really up to the project manager, but there's usually at least one reach-out phase where opinions are requested.

Okay, great. Thank you.

Any more questions from the Commission?

I think that's a great job. Thank you.

Yes, thank you. Do we have any hands raised on Zoom or speaker slips from the public on this item?

No, nothing.

Any further comment from the commissioners or someone willing to make a motion? Oh, sorry, Vice Chair Davis.

I can make a comment and make a motion if you'd like. I just want to say that, you know, the residents see when we're working on a park, they know you might be working on a sewer because, you know, the street's torn up and the traffic is there. there's so much work that we really don't see like at the water treatment plant it's amazing and it's just nice that we are keeping it up to date and modernized and safe and all of that so the stuff that we don't normally see it's important for us to realize our city is working on it and you know spending the resources that we have it's hard to run a city you guys are doing a great job with that

WHERE'S THE RESOLUTION? I WILL MOVE.

MOVE, MOVE, MOVE. BACK ONE MORE. RESOLUTION. MOVE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MILBURN CONFIRMING REVIEW OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025-26. and its conformance with the Millbrae General Plan pursuant to California Government Code Section 65401.

I'll second it.

All right, the resolution has been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? Vice Chair Davis, I think you need to click.

Okay, there you go.

Okay, sorry, one more time.

All right, any further discussion? All right, your votes please, Commissioners. All right, I think we're good.

So item 4A passes by a vote of 4-0.

All right, the action of the Planning Commission is considered final pending a 10-day appeal period and the payment of the required appeal fee. For anyone who wishes to appeal the decision of the Planning Commission, please contact the City Clerk. Under new business, we have no items. Next item is staff updates.

Just a couple updates tonight. The next Planning Commission meeting scheduled for June 2 will be canceled. We are still on the fence for the second meeting in June. One of the items that will be brought forth to the Commission in the near future, whether that be the second meeting in June or in July, is the City's Local Density Bonus Ordinance. That will go to the Planning Commission for recommendation. the city council because it's an ordinance and so that that ordinance is basically expanding on the state laws and providing an additional incentive here locally that developers can utilize to provide more housing and uh just an update on the two uh life science projects we've issued certificates of occupancy for the two buildings um icon has already started to move in i'm not sure if they're they're completed but they're they're already um starting to move in and then uh the longfellow project doesn't have a tenant yet but the the uh certificate occupancy has been issued on that so that's good news AND THAT'S ALL THE UPDATES I HAVE THIS EVENING. THANK YOU.

NEW SPEAKER THAT IS GOOD NEWS.

NEW SPEAKER ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION?

NEW SPEAKER I DO SEE THAT THE OLD OFFICE PEPO IS MOVING ALONG. THEY HIT A LOT OF RAIN.

but it looks like it's coming together yeah yeah it's coming along nicely um it'll be a two-year project so hopefully in 27 sometimes we'll we'll see it finally instructed there will be hopefully um there will be started last year yeah uh the the the contractor said that they're going to mock up a portion like a section of the building to see how it would look like so um that'll be down the line so i'll let you know when that happens and no news on the el rancho at all no and the affordable that project we are meeting with the uh developer um this week actually in two days on a pre-construction meeting so this is typically done prior to the demolition of the of the structure um to get the city the developer on board and um on the same page on what's going to happen and what are um the traffic control measures so on and so forth for the project so um that'll that'll happen this week with the city and then um sometime in the future um the demolition will occur not exactly sure when that'll happen though but

Thank you. You know, in front of that building, in front of that, on that corner, on Broadway, right? There has been a truck there that's some kind of a construction type truck forever. It's never moved. I don't know if it's because of the project or what. i'm not sure i'll swing by there tomorrow i'll take a look i haven't been by there but i'll yeah it seems to be on my way home every day and i keep asking and thinking i should ask i should ask but i'm asking thank you welcome any other questions

I had a couple so with respect to the density bonus program that I know there was supposed there was a meeting with the property owners how did that workshop go how many people were there yeah we had about eight eight people not including city staff or the consultant team and we got a lot of good feedback and

didn't really change the ordinance you just had a lot of questions about how to be implemented and just some clarifying questions so we we were a little nervous about you know how much input we would get and how much feedback but we got about eight people which I'm given that this is targeted to do to property owners and that community to give them information and what our local density bonus is going to do we thought that that was actually a pretty good turnout and then I saw one of the

Things that was part of the settlement between the city and high speed rail is there supposed to be an update to the specific plan in a matter that will. I guess account for high speeds rails needs in that. Stationary or whatever was agreed with to the city so and there was a fairly hefty amount, so I imagine it'll take some time to to that. The high speed rail is paying for that, so I'm just curious what timeline that. Plan update might be. COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION AND THE COUNCIL?

NEW SPEAKER I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE PDA GRANT, PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA GRANT THAT THE CITY RECEIVED FROM MTC. I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR. AND IT WAS A MATCHING DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR UP TO $600,000, SO A TOTAL OF 1.2 MILLION THAT WOULD GO TOWARDS UPDATING THE MOBILE STATION AREA SPECIFIC PLAN. to amend the plan uh to create a conceptual plan for an intermodal transit station seamless intermodal transit station and the Basically, the settlement allowed the city control of the area west of the station, giving high-speed rail some areas. So basically, that is a grant from the city. The grant was awarded to the city from MTC. speed rail will be a part of the transit agencies that are um at the table um that will provide input onto how that plan is going to develop over time so we're working with high-speed rail bart cal train sam trans and cal train okay sounds good any other questions for staff

all right next up we have Planning Commissioner announcements any announcements members of the Commission would like to make I will say that Vice Chair Davis and I did attend the last mile transit workshop provided by 21 elements. I thought it was pretty interesting. They actually featured the Millbrae Burlingame bike share program fairly prominently in the presentation. So you might see more of that coming to other cities in the peninsula. All right. Any other announcements? All right. Well, with that, we've reached the end of our agenda. Is there a motion to adjourn? All right. Okay. Or we'll just adjourn. Thanks so much. Have a good evening.

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